The Will of Men
by MiniMcGiggles
Summary: His hands left the blood dripping cloth and he stalked up to me, fuming. His bloody hands reached forward and he took hold of my shirt, drenching my clothes in his friends' blood. "Your self pity is disgusting! He's dying and you can't help?" One-shot. T for blood and cursing.


**A/N:** First real one-shot! I was going to put this up on Thursday as a birthday present from me to you, but then laziness approached me and I laid on the couch with a plate of half eaten cake and a new blanket. Now I've had this idea for a while, and I also really wanted to try out a first person's point of view of these guys relationship (hopefully I got it right!) Alright, I won't babble anymore, enjoy!

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"Please," He pressed harder against his friends wound, "you…you have to help."

I blinked, surprised by the sudden onslaught of perseverance that this man was showing. However, I didn't want them inside – I never let anyone inside, even if someone was bleeding to death on my porch, I didn't want to let them in. "I – I," my voice failed me, I didn't want them to come anywhere near me, but the pink haired man looked dispirited for the man in his arms. "I…cant?" It wasn't meant to come out as a question, but my judgment was getting the better of me and I swallowed at the thought of my father coming home to this.

"He's going to die!" The man shouted and jerked forward, only to have the man in his arms bellow in agony. "Shit," he looked down and took in a trembling breath. "Please."

I bit my bottom lip, any minute my father would come home. Any minute he would come to me and punish me for helping the poor – for helping someone in need. I've never let anyone in my house, nor have I ever spoken to anyone besides my father. I had been told to wait here for his return and under no reason let anyone inside. As seconds passed by the man looked more and more displeased with his friends' condition. I shook my head and the man's eyes blackened, his posture sagging.

"Fuck," he whispered, hands shaking as he shut his eyes in protest.

Suddenly, the limp man looked up, one eye blood shot. "Please," he whispered, "we'll be gone…at sunrise."

I sucked in a quick breath and watched as the man coughed, blood trickling down his chin and stringing onto the wet floorboard. He looked god awful to say the least. He was hanging limply in his friends' arms, a large amount of blood pooled from the large pit dug into his back. I gnawed on my bottom lip and stepped back, letting a passage show behind me and to the kitchen. The pinked haired man looked up in surprise and with a simple nod, walked swiftly into the house and out of the cold pouring rain.

As one walked into the house, the others feet struggled to keep up with the pace that the other was taking. Tracks of mud and rain littered my flooring and I looked outside once more before shutting the door and locking it. I flinched when a sudden crash sounded from within my house and I ran quickly towards the flurry of courses. When I reached my kitchen, the two were facing away from me and it wasn't until now that I found the one with dark raven hair had been shirtless. The pink haired man gingerly took his friends weight off of his shoulder and steady hands helped the other onto the table. I stepped around the kitchen plates that were once on the table, but now strung across the floor in a broken mess, and picked up a large towel and handed it towards the two.

The pink haired man looked up and took the towel that I had offered. The man shook his head as blood dripped from his fingers, and pressed it harshly against his friends' back.

"Shit, Natsu!"

"Shut the hell up, Ice Princess."

"You could be nicer, damn ash brain."

"What the fuck do you think I'm doing?"

"You're worse than Erza!"

"Do I look like I care? Right now I'm trying to save your crummy ass."

"Well you're doing a terrible job at that," the man laying stomach down on the table looked up and swatted at his companion.

The one named Natsu ignored the flailing hand and pressed harder onto the wound that had now soaked through the large table clothe. "Just shut the hell up would you?"

I stood back and held my hands against my chest. I watched as the blood spilled freely now from the cloth and dripped onto the floor. I didn't want them here, I regretted my decision immediately, and my father would kill me if he ever knew I was allowing this to happen in our home.

"Oi."

I looked up and blinked the fog from my eyes. Natsu was looking up at me, his eyes were fierce, I swallowed. "Yes?" My voice was low, shaking.

"Can you find anymore towels or cloth," He looked down at his friend and bit his lip. "I also need water, some alcohol and a sowing kit."

I frowned slightly in confusion. "I do…but this is all I am allowed to do."

Natsu's head shot upwards and his eyes burned with misunderstanding. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean." His hands left the blood dripping cloth and he stalked up to me, fuming. The air around me started to heat and as he stepped forward flames danced behind his eyes. His bloody hands reached forward and he took hold of my shirt, drenching my clothes in his friends' blood. "Your self pity is disgusting! Gray is dying and you can't help?"

I was terrified to say the least. My breath caught in my throat, my chest began to tighten and I could feel my eyes well up with on coming tears. So this is what father was talking of, I thought to myself. People outside are truly terrifying. I shut my eyes and turned away, to afraid to look at this beast before me. "Please…I'm – sorry."

"Natsu," the man struggling on my kitchen table growled. As a result the monster stepped back and his hands balled into fists. "Stop, you're scaring her, idiot."

It took a second but then Natsu turned and started going through my kitchen, throwing food and bowls onto the floor. My fathers' belongings crashed onto the floor and shattered into pieces. I flinched with each heated movement the man produced and fear gripped onto my heart as he moved from the kitchen and into my house. I swallowed and found myself walking up to the man lying upon my table.

He was cold to the touch and his skin was very pale.

His dark blue eyes looked tiredly up at me and I swallowed as a result. "Sorry," he breath was sticky and wet. "That idiot is just scared." I felt myself relax slightly as I stood there quietly sharing a long drawn-out gaze with the dying man. He suddenly smirked, his cold complexion vanishing unexpectedly. "Thank you."

My eyebrows rose with the sudden kindness. "For…?"

"I know you don't want us here, but look where we are now." His smirk remained for a second before his eyes closed suddenly and his body racked with a coughing fit. His mouth opened and with each hack, blood splattered across the table and onto the floor.

With the sudden attack I threw my hands forward, unconsciously, and felt my hands press onto the sponge like cloth. Blood was pressed out from the cloth and made rivers down Gray's back; I felt my stomach turn with the metallic scent.

"Shit," he groaned out, his eyelids fighting to stay open. "I'm not going to make it."

I bit my lip, not knowing what to say. "I'm sure…Natsu-san, would not want that."

"I've lost too much blood, he's trying to save a dying man…" Gray chuckled and he shut his eyes, "Damn bastard won't know what to fight when I'm gone."

"My father always said that you should never show disrespect towards the one's you love." I found myself looking up and wondering where the pink haired man had gone.

Gray was silent for a few seconds, his breath weak under my shaking hands. "Well," he whispered and to my surprise, his voice was warm and a smile spread upon his lips. "Natsu…he's like a big puff ball, y'know?" He looked up at me for the corner of his eyes and warmth was evident within his blue orbs. "He's my brother, so ya…I love the guy – but, I don't know…fighting him is fun." He chuckled to himself and his breath evened out.

I was silent from there and my mind began to question what he had meant. Sure, I understood the love for one another. My father had been the only other man I came into contact with, so my love for him was strong. He is a great man, strong and loving. He makes sure I am protected and he understands what it is to be a growing 14 year old. He was the only other person I have come into contact with, besides tonight. "You and Natsu-san are brothers? I am sorry but I do not see the resemblance."

Right then, Natsu had returned and when he saw that I was placing pressure upon his brothers' back, he looked quite shocked before shaking his head and stepping besides me. I swallowed waiting for an outburst, but non-had come and he seemed content with my actions. He dropped the items he had found in my house and I was inspecting what he had found and was slightly surprised. Natsu picked up a cloth and opened my fathers' best hard liquor bottle and poured it on the cloth. He looked up at me and removed the blood soaked rag, letting it drop to the floor with a nauseating squish. He handed me the cloth, "Can you hold it on his cut."

I took the cloth with a nod and looked down at the 'cut'. The injury was far from it. The gash had run from Gray's mid-back to his right shoulder. The injury dug into his back, revealing tattered skin, muscle and bone. I pressed the damp alcohol filled cloth onto the wound and felt Gray jolt from what I had done.

"Shit," he growled out and his hands tightened into fists.

"Sorry," I whispered and looked up. I saw that Natsu was quivering and trying to place a small thread through a needle. "I can help," I said quietly.

Natsu seemed to understand and handed me the needle and threat, he then traded places with me and pressed harshly onto his brother's back. "Fuck, Natsu!" Gray had complained as Natsu pressed harder.

"Talk anymore and I'll make sure to beat you're ass when we get back to the guild."

I looked up suddenly, my mind fogging over as I forgot about the needle and threat in my grasp. "A guild?"

Natsu looked up and smiled. "Ya," he turned to his right and bestowed a red guild mark upon his shoulder. "Me and dumbass here are part of Fairy Tail."

I looked down, "My father was in one once. He talks constantly about it." I began deasing the thread through the needle again. "I believe he wants to return someday."

"Well," Natsu paused then smiled. "Once he comes back, tell him to go to Fairy Tail. I'm sure the old man wouldn't mind."

I looked back up and with a smile, gave Natsu the needle and thread. He took it gingerly, and took a breath in and then let it out – he was shaking. It wasn't long until I noticed that he could not correctly do the task of sewing up his friend. So I placed my hand onto his quivering shoulder and took back the needle. He seemed relieved to say the least. So I took the back the spot and looked down at the task before me.

I have sewn many things as I grew. My father would come back from work, clothing torn and bloody, but he said and did nothing as I took hold of his hand into mine and led him to his room as I stitched together his clothing. He'd kiss me on my forehead, like he'd done many times before, and say my mother was just like me. I've never stitched together a person before.

The material that Natsu placed upon his friend, once white, was now soaked through, and Gray had been quiet. I took the material off and proceeded to work through the blood that was now slowing down, I do not know if that is a good sign or now. However, I worked swiftly, acting as if the skin and muscle was a torn shirt of my fathers. It worked.

I stood stiffly, my fingers bloody and back tender from being hunched over. As I placed down the needle, Natsu quickly placed a towel onto his brothers' back and silence filled the kitchen. I looked down at the two Fairy Tail guild members and stepped back, my hands clasping as I bowed in admiration. "I will leave you two alone. You are welcome to eat whatever that comes to mind," I stepped out and headed to the bathroom.

A few minutes later, cleaned of blood and clothing changed, I stepped out and before heading to bed; I walked silently towards the kitchen.

"Its not like I saw the guy," Gray had said, his voice sounded drowsy and disconnected.

"When we get home I'm going to have Erza bite your head off."

"Then I'll sick Lucy on your ass."

"Fuck you, stripper," Natsu sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. But as I looked closer the man seemed concerned his eyebrows knitting together as he frowned. "You're going to get better," he said after a long pause. "Tomorrow you'll have enough strength to walk to the next town and we'll get you real stuff to help you get better."

Gray, now turned onto his side, frowned with his brother. "I don't think I'll hold off that long."

Natsu sat forward, "Ya you will-"

"Damn it, Natsu," Gray barked with a wince. "I lost to much blood. Alright?"

"We stopped the bleeding."

"Not soon enough," Gray looked up tiredly at Natsu. "I'm…I'm to tired alright."

"Then sleep," Natsu crossed his arms, but the fear that was evident within his eyes had not disappeared.

"Not that kind of tired, dumbass." It was silent again, but this time Natsu turned his gaze towards the floor and the world began to cool. "Plus," Gray breathed out, his lids fighting to stay open. "I got hit in the back, on the spine."

"You'll be fine," Natsu shook his head, his gaze still remaining on my blood caked floor.

"I can't feel my legs, alright?" Gray's voice shook and the light from the candles that surrounded the two began to flicker. "The bastard probably made me paralyzed."

"We'll find a way to fix that, we always do."

"You have to understand, Natsu," Gray reached forward and gripped onto Natsu's arm. "I'm too tired…of everything."

Natsu stood up the chair jumping backwards and crashing into the floor. Natsu ripped his arm from Gray's grip, and his eyes flared with more than just fire. "_No_," his voice cracked, "damn you, Ice Princess. You can't be tired of anything."

Gray looked down and his hand fell against the kitchen table. "You aren't the only one scared, you know that, right?"

"I'm not scared!" Natsu barked and he stepped forward, throwing his hands down on the table his brother laid upon.

"Yes you are!" Gray shouted back, his eyes blinked quickly, but a tear still escaped. "I'm terrified too, okay!" His hand crumpled into a weakening fist and his voice turned into a whisper, "Can't you just admit it even once?"

Natsu shook his head, "I'm not scared at all. I know you'll pull through, like you always do."

"…I'm going to rest for a bit," Gray said, his voice weak and eyes fluttering close. However, peace did not seem to wash over him, instead he seemed the complete opposite.

Natsu nodded and turned to pick up the chair that had fallen recently. As he turned I noticed the forced smile edged into his features, behind the false optimism was fear. "When you wake up tomorrow," he turned and sat, hands balling into fists, "we'll head back to the guild – and everything will return to normal."

Gray took in a shaking breath and with a smirk he nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, dumbass."

Natsu sat silently, his breath shaking and limps quaking ever so slightly. "Ya," his voice cracked, he swallowed right after. "I'll see you later."

I woke up to screaming.

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**A/N:** Funny thing was I was debating letting Gray live! Hahahah, now who would have thunk? Anyway thanks for reading, and if you liked it, give it a favorite and review!

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